


Little Wonders

by agentsimmons



Series: Yours. Mine. Ours. [13]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers - Ambiguous Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Domestic Fluff, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Gen, Halloween, Kid Fic, Kid Jemma Simmons, Kid Peter Parker, Kid Pietro Maximoff, Kid Skye | Daisy Johnson, M/M, POV Alternating, Parent Bruce Banner, Parent Tony Stark, Parent-Child Relationship, Parenthood, Science Boyfriends, Siblings, Step-siblings, The Supersized Science Family, Trick or Treating
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-31
Updated: 2017-10-31
Packaged: 2019-01-26 04:27:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,352
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12548824
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/agentsimmons/pseuds/agentsimmons
Summary: We will only just remember how it feels.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This will be a collection of vignettes that take place during or after the events of Lucky Thirteen, but feel too short to warrant their own single entry. They won't be in any particular sequential order. (Title same as song by Rob Thomas)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vignette taking place on the family's first Halloween together.

"Man, we _never_ got this much candy back in Willowdale," Peter said, peering into his bag with wide eyes.

"Told you it would be sweet, dude," Harley said and Pietro nodded in agreement.

Tony chuckled and looked at Bruce in time to see his grimace. He'd warned Bruce that the candy hauls his kids brought in are ridiculous, but Bruce hadn't believed it could be _that_ much different. Bruce met his eyes and Tony shook his head before moving to stand beside him.

"Told you," Tony couldn't resist saying as he wrapped an arm around him. "The rich do everything in excess."

"I don't know why I ever doubted you, honestly," Bruce replied with a huff of a laugh. "But this is way too much candy. They'll be sick if they eat it all."

"Eh," Tony hitched a shoulder, "well, mine usually throw out the gross stuff anyways—"

"That seems wasteful," Bruce interjected with a frown.

"Hmm. I'm not sure if there's any way to donate the unwanted stuff," Tony said, considering it. "I've never thought about it before," he admitted. He was so used to excess that the little wastes here and there usually didn't register. He certainly didn't mind Bruce shifting his perspective here and there. "But for the rest I have rules just like I'm sure you do," he continued. "They can only have so much at a time so it usually lasts them a good couple of months, which is always a plus."

"I guess it’s a plus," Bruce said, weighing his head side to side as if not sure he completely agreed yet. "And maybe we can take the unwanted stuff to work to distribute in the break rooms if push comes to shove," he then suggested.

"Sounds good to me," Tony said with a smile.

He squeezed Bruce a little bit closer as they continued their trek with the kids that had wanted to go trick-or-treating. The others were either out celebrating the holiday with their friends or back at the house.

When they approached the next house there were, as was the case at all the houses before, several kids running around in various costumes. Also as was the case at all the houses before, their kids took off running towards the line at the door to get more treats as quickly as possible. All except for Jemma, who nearly got run over in the bustle. She stopped to let everyone go on, but then made no movement to follow.

Tony furrowed his brow. "Jem, you doing okay?" He glanced at Bruce in concern, but Bruce looked back at him with a soft smile that said he already knew what the issue was.

She turned around to look up at them and Bruce moved from Tony's hold to reach for his youngest daughter. Jemma immediately took her dad up on the offer and he hoisted her up in his arms. Tony took her bag of candy to make it easier on Bruce.

"I'm not a very good Anne," Jemma said with a sigh.

"Why would you say that?" Tony asked. "You look like a pretty good Anne to me. And you're the only one I've seen so that makes you extra special."

She smiled brightly at the compliment before scrunching her face up. "It's just, my legs are tired and my bag is starting to get really heavy." Tony swallowed hard as an image of Jemma walking towards the train station came to his mind unbidden. "I know Anne had to walk miles and miles just to get to school or, or _anywhere_. But I like cars," she said matter-of-factly. She then gave another considering look. "And horses too. And I guess bicycles. But I don't like walking."

"Well, to be fair you didn’t get a very good night’s sleep," Bruce said.

Tony grimaced. The older kids that had let her sit in on their horror movie marathon were lucky he and Bruce hadn’t grounded them from Halloween altogether as terrified as she'd been after the fact. After the first nightmare, Wanda had tried to help her. After the second, Wanda had brought her to Tony and Bruce for help and they'd let her climb into bed with them. After the third nightmare, Tony and Bruce had decided to just stay up with her and distract her as best they could. They were all a little tired, honestly.

"That's true I guess." Jemma nodded, but then looked down as if ashamed. "But… But I don’t think I like walking very far anymore because… because…"

Tony easily guessed her line of thinking was similar to what his own had been a few moments prior. "Because it makes you remember that day?" he asked softly and she gave a subtle nod.

Bruce's eyes widened in realization and he looked at Tony with the same uneasiness he himself felt. "You know what," he said, "I think this should probably be the last stop anyway." He searched Tony's eyes, questioning silently if he agreed with that idea. "We've been at this for a bit and the kids have plenty of candy." His look turned shrewder. "And don't think I'm okay with you putting all this stress on your body when you should still be taking it easy."

"I am seriously fine," Tony protested. "Look, Bruce, I love that you're thinking of my health, but like I said, I wasn't about to miss our first trick-or-treating adventure just because the doctor hasn't officially given me the A-OK yet. And I don’t regret that choice." Bruce merely blinked, signaling that he was only conceding because Tony insisted and not because he was okay with it. "But in the spirit of compromise," Tony added quickly, "you're right. This should be the last stop. Jemma here is tired and the kids will want probably want to sort out all of their candy and whatever before bed."

"You _are_ still fine, aren't you, Tony?" Jemma asked timidly after a short moment of quiet – save for the sound of rowdy kids all around. Her face was wrinkled with worry. They were all still getting over the recent traumatic experience and probably would be for a little while to come. 

Tony smiled. "Absolutely fine," he assured her. "But thank you for thinking of my health too, Carrots." He tugged one of her braids gently, earning a giggle from her, and a soft snort from Bruce too.

"Just checking," she said with a nod and relieved expression.

Bruce looked at Tony with a smile that said everything Tony was thinking. Hopefully their blended ‘science’ family was going to be fine too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. I was thinking about how the family's first Halloween together would have been relatively shortly after Jemma running away and Tony's health scare, so I wondered what them trick-or-treating might look like and ended up with this.  
> 2\. Anne as in, of course, Anne Shirley (of Green Gables). And for those unfamiliar with the story, Carrots is something Anne is called that makes her absolutely furious (unlike Jemma here who just finds it humorous because she's adorable and it's Tony so).


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Takes place before the trick-or-treating vignette in Chapter 1.

"No, no, no, no," Jemma pleaded softly into the pillow covering her face. She knew what was coming and she didn't want it to happen. 

Suddenly there was a terrible scream from the movie and she jumped. She uncovered her eyes, unable to stop herself, but wished she hadn't when she saw what was happening on the screen.  

"Daddy!!!!!" she screamed in terror and ran from the theater room, ignoring the calls from her siblings asking if she was okay. She was most certainly  _not_  okay. She just wanted to find her dad. "Daddy!" she called again when she reached the living room and still hadn't found him. "Tony!?" she tried. Maybe he would be close enough to hear her instead.  

 _Jemma_ , JARVIS said, and she looked up at the ceiling with a snivel, _if you would stay right where you are, I have alerted Dr. Banner to your distress and he is on his way._   

"Th—thank you," she said, still sniveling as she tried to stop from crying. She suddenly heard a noise and she screamed again.  

"Sweetheart, what's wrong?" Jemma spun around to see her dad running toward her. Tony was right behind him.  

"Daddy!" She ran towards him and into his arms when he crouched down in front of her. She started crying again and he hugged her tight before picking her up. "I just heard a noise," she said. "I don't know what it is. What is it!?" she begged him to tell her.  

"JARVIS, can you help us out here?" Tony asked as he stroked her hair softly. "What was the noise?" 

 _I am relatively certain it was Quake_ , he answered.  

"Relatively certain?" Tony echoed. 

"It was." Jemma turned her head from where it was buried against her dad's neck to see Skye coming toward them. "I think you scared her because she went taking off down the hall and knocked something down on the way." 

 _And my surveillance shows nothing else of concern_ , JARVIS added.  

"Oh," Jemma said, calming a little. "I'm sorry I scared her." 

"It's okay," Skye told her. "You didn't mean to. And you were scared first so I'm more worried about you." 

"Okay, explanation time," Tony said. "What happened and why was Jemma scared in the first place?" 

"I think I already have an idea," her dad said with a sigh. "Jemma, were you watching one of those scary movies with them?" 

She frowned and nodded. "It was awful." 

"You let her watch with you?" Tony asked Skye. 

"Yeah, but she said she wanted to try and I know we should have asked you, but Peter said Dr. B let him watch scary movies when he was seven and, like, Steve said it was true even if he still wasn't sure it was a good idea to let her," Skye explained all in one breath. 

Her dad carried her over to a nearby seat and sat down so that she was on his lap. Tony and Skye followed.  

"That's technically true," her dad said. "I did let Peter start watching scary movies at Jemma's age. But it's not a one-size fits all." 

"It never is," Tony agreed.  

"See, not a lot of things really scare Peter so I realized he would be able to handle it. But even then I made sure to watch with him so I could monitor how he was doing and turn it off if I had to. Loki was the same way. He started wanting to watch scary stuff when he was four or five. But then Jane, Jane didn't even like Halloween episodes of things until she was around nine. Steve probably doesn't remember, but he was eight or nine himself when he could handle the really scary stuff Loki and Thor were already okay with." 

"I wasn't ready," Jemma said sadly. "I guess I'm still a scaredy-cat baby like Peter said."  

"Well, that wasn't very nice of him," Tony said. 

"No, it wasn't," her dad agreed. "So I'm going to say something to him about it. For now, how about we get you some tea and then you and me can do something fun. Whatever you want." 

"Can I join in?" Tony asked. "Your call, cutie bug." 

Jemma smiled at the nickname and Tony's kindness at always making sure to ask now if she wanted him to join in on activities with her dad.  

"Yeah," she decided, "I want both of you."  

"Alrighty," Tony said. "I'm just going to go check on the others real quick and then I'll join you."  

He looked at Skye and the way Skye looked down at the floor made Jemma think Tony meant the others were in trouble for letting her watch the movie with them. Skye followed her dad back toward the theater room, but not without looking back at her and saying, "Sorry." 

"Are we all going to be grounded?" Jemma asked her dad when they were alone. 

"Hmm. How about you tell me if you think you should be grounded." 

Jemma blinked and wrinkled her nose. "Um," she thought about it, "well, I guess I should be." 

"You should?" 

She nodded. "I didn't ask you for permission before doing something you might not want me to do." 

"Good point," her dad replied. "You made a decision for yourself. And while I can't stop you from doing that, the reason why I want you to still talk to me first is to help keep stuff like this happening." 

"I know," Jemma said, looking down at her lap. 

"But, I can't always be there for you no matter how much I wish I could be," her dad continued. "And you'll have to make your own decisions." 

"So... I'm not grounded?" Jemma looked back at him.  

"That movie was really scary wasn't it?" he asked. She wanted to cry just thinking about it and buried her head against him again, nodding. He held her tight and stroked her back. "So, I think we'll call this one a life lesson. You learned the hard way that there are still some things you might not be ready for and that maybe you should come to me before trying them, since I have a little more experience with these things. Understand?" 

"Being scared is my punishment?" Jemma pulled back a little to look at him. 

Her dad smiled. "Consequence might be the more appropriate word. But that's about the gist of it." 

Jemma scrunched her face up as she thought about what he said. Then she asked, "What about the others? Will they be grounded." 

"Well, they should have known better than to make that decision without talking to me too, but—" 

"But they're not as smart as you yet either," Jemma said quickly. "They didn't mean for me to get scared. I don't want them to get in trouble if I don't get in trouble." 

Her dad smiled again and she knew it was his 'proud' smile. "That's very gracious of you, sweetheart. And you're right. They're still learning too. So, Tony and I will talk to them and decide together if there should be any further consequences. But between you and me," he added in a playful whisper, "I think they'll get off with a warning."  

"Okay, good," Jemma whispered back.  

Her dad chuckled and hugged her tight. "I love you, my little molecule." He kissed her on the top of her head. "And I'm sorry you were scared." 

"I love you too." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. The previous vignette led to this bonus vignette idea.
> 
> Happy Halloween!


End file.
